After the show

I get up at around 7:00. First thing I do is to check outside. The party is over. I wonder how long it went on?

After a little pottering, I go downstairs for breakfast.

It's the same as always. Scranbled egg and cheese to start. Fruit to finish. Along with coffee and orange juice. Will this be the last time I have this combination? Of course, it fucking won’t. 

A breakfast of scrambled egg, cheese, orange juice and coffee.

I have a new approach to getting my eSIM working, I read the instructions. And realise that I need to manually set up an access point. Then it works. Who would have guessed that? That you need to follow the instructions? It’s totally counterintuitive.

What to do today? Nothing too strenuous. Or complicated. Preferably, withing walking distance. And with a certain amount of drinking involved. Beer, possibly. Though caipirinhas will do nicely.

Virus seems a good idea. I tramp down there a little after midday. And it's very closed. As if it never existed. That's a bit of a bugger. I’d planned on spending the afternoon methodically plodding through their beers

After some deep thought, I decide to give Colarinho in Copacabana a try. Good beer and good food. What more do I need? Not too pricey, either. I can remember the name and location. And they open for lunch.

An Uber gets me there pretty quickly. It's impressive how they've cleaned up the streets after yesterday's madness. There’s almost no trace left.

The packed terrace of Colarinho with waiters rushing about.

Colarinho is fairly busy, but I manage to find a seat outside. Where I order;

Noi Amara Imperial IPA 10%
A nice light lunch beer. It's an attractive amber colour with a thick, dense head. It's a little hazy, though well short of sludgy. It's very bitter. It claims to be 100 IBU and I can believe it. Not bad at all.

A pint of Noi Amara Imperial IPA. What a lovely amber colour.

I do like Coarinho. I come here almost every time I’m in Rio. Starting with my first visit to Brazil in 2020, when I met Martyn Cornell here. I don’t know, it just feels comfortable.

Tempted by those dining around me, I order a steak. It comes without any trappings, which is fine by me. I don't really need any carbs. Very enjoyable, it is. As I expected, this being Brazil.

My steak after I'd eaten half of it.

I order myself another Noi Amara and watch the beautiful people streaming to and from the beach. Which, I noticed on the way in, is packed.

After a while they roll out the monster TV screen. I remember it well from last year. On that screen I saw the cheating foreigners cheat England out of victory in the Euros. Just to make my opinion clear: the foreigners cheated.

They're showing a Champions League game. Feyenoord against an Italian bunch. Feyenoord concede a goal just before half time. I'm tempted to start an anti-Feyenoord chant. But can restrain myself. I doubt anyone would have joined in, anyway.

After two beers, it’s time to stretch my drinking legs and move on to caipirinhas. Don’t want to consume too many carbs. Not if I want to keep my svelte contours.

I order a couple of cod "balls". More like cigars, really. They're very good, if a little salty. I’m eating like a king today.

Two cod balls with some sort of red sauce.

It’s wonderful having my phone working. I feel so free. I can go wherever I want. Currently, that’s my hotel.

Which is exactly where I go. To watch Liverpool thrash PSG with a scrawpy late goal. That'll teach the foreigners. While consuming some of the cheapest cachaça available. If I mix it with enough cola, I shouldn’t go blind.

I turn in around 11. Fear of disablement hurries me to sleepytown.



Boteco Colarinho Escondido
R. Francisco Otaviano, 30
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
RJ, 22080-040.
 

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1883 Truman (Burton) No. 5 Ale Runner

Time for another numbered Burton Ale. Still a couple more to go.

We’re now in the realm of Old Ales. Because No. 5 comes in two flavours: Runner and Stock. Which would, at some point, have been blended together.

It’s a very simple recipe. There’s nothing but base malt. Literally. Not even any sugar, as in most of the others. Makes my job here pretty difficult. What the hell do I have to discuss?

I know. The hopping. It’s not a crazy rate: 5.75 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt. Then again, this wasn’t intended to be stored for any length of time. Unlike the Stock version which we’ll be seeing next.

Just two types of hops. Pretty sure one of them says “Bohemian”. Which I’ve interpreted as Saaz.

This definitely wouldn’t have been aged. A couple of weeks at most after the end of primary fermentation it would have been blended with the Stock No. 5 Ale.
 

1883 Truman (Burton) No. 5 Ale Runner
pale malt	17.25 lb	100.00%
Fuggles 180 mins	1.25 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	1.25 oz
Saaz 30 mins	1.25 oz
OG	1076
FG	1017.5
ABV	7.74
Apparent attenuation	76.97%
IBU	38
SRM	6
Mash at	150º F
Sparge at	160º F
Boil time	180 minutes
pitching temp	58º F
Yeast	WLP013 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)

 

Still Carnaval

I wake pretty early. Around 5:30. Which is 9:30 Amsterdam time. I slept very soundly and feel quite refreshed.

I head downstairs for breakfast around 8:00. It's pretty crowded. Mostly with half-dressed people. No bacon, sadly. Instead, they have those chopped up sausages in red stuff. I make do with scrambled egg and cheese. Followed by fruit.

A breakfast of scrambled egg, cheese, coffee and orange juice.

After eating, I venture outside to take a look at Virus, the brewpub around the corner. As it's closed, there's no sign of its existence. Just a rolled-down shutter covered in graffiti. I continue on to the supermarket. Where I get some essentials: cheapo cachaça, cola and cheese. All the big Cs.

On the judges WhatsaApp group, Andreas Kitzinger asks if anyone else is in Rio. And if they fancy meeting up for a beer. I answer "yes". Obviously. Why the fuck wouldn’t I?

I fiddle around trying to get my eSIM to work. Then head back to Virus, where we plan meeting up. There I discover that the eSIM isn't working, for some reason. Brilliant.

Virus is sort of open. You can't go inside, but they've set up a couple of taps in the doorway and set a few tables and chairs on the pavement.

Virus brewpub with temporary taps and tables outside. With a pair of purchasing partygoers.

I have a couple of IPAs. And a roast meat sandwich, which is dead good. With lots of onions. Exactly what I need. The IPA is doing its job, too. That hoppy thing backed up with a bit of oomph. A beer to breakfast on.

A meat sandwich, plastic cup of IPA and a menu on a table.

Many not so much lightly-dressed as slightly-dressed partygoers walk by. I've never seen so many men in fishnet tights and tutus. It has a bit of a Gay Pride air about it. Some of the party people pause to pick up Pils. Always the Pils.

There’s a merry buzz. Everyone is going to a party. I can feel their crackling anticipation as they laugh and drink their way down the road. Anticipation of a good time. A really good time. I’m starting to quite like this Carnaval thing. Everyone is in a really good mood. Even a miserable old git like me.

Virus temporary taps, price list and the inside of the brewery behind them.

Andreas can't make it to Virus on account of the traffic. We plan now to meet up at 3 PM at Os Imoratais in Copacabana. I indulge in some duty-free whisky while I wait. Just enough to warm me up for the evening.

It's a bit of a drive, but the traffic isn't too bad. I get to the pub a little before three and snatch an outside table. And order a caiprinha. As you do. You really can’t go wrong with a caiprinha. When in Brazil.

There's footie on the telly: Club Brugge vs Aston Villa. There’s always footie on the TV in South America. That’s one thing I’ve learnt from my travels.

Os Imortais outside with laughing customers and football on the TV.

I'm on my second caipirinha when Andreas and his girlfriend roll up. He follows my lead and orders a caipirnha. "We'll be drinking enough beer over the next few days." He remarks. Very true, very true.

They sensibly order food. While I stick to cocktails for the time being.

We chat and watch the beautiful - and not so beautiful - people stream by. Eventually, I give in to food and order a pasty. Just like with a caiprinha, you can never go wrong with an empanada.

I'm having no luck with my phone today. I connect to the pub wifi, but without internet. What fucking use is that?

We leave a little after nightfall. Andreas orders me an Uber. Soon I'm bouncing through the darkened Rio streets. Hoping we get to my hotel quickly, as I'm starting to be in need of a piss.

I make the bog without embarrassing myself, you’ll be glad to hear. Well, more embarrassing than the shorts and shirt combination I’m sporting alongside my Solovair shoes (like DMs but much better quality).

There's some sort of event going on in the square outside the hotel. Right next to the kiosk selling beer. What a coincidence. It’s pretty noisy, even with the window closed. Drums, whistles, guitars and singing. It’s full-on music.

I call it a day after a little duty-free whisky. Which leads me to the street of slumber.

I wake at 2:30 to the sound of drumming and singing. They're still at it on the square. They've way more energy than I have. Ah, to be young again.

I go back to bed. And have no trouble sleeping.



Cervejaria Virus
Rua da Carioca, 55
Centro, Rio de Janeiro
RJ, 20050-008.


Os Imortais Bar
R. Ronald de Carvalho, 147
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
RJ, 22021-020.
 

Carnaval

(Not that I’ll be saying farewell to meat this trip. Quite the opposite. I am going to Brazil. Meat capital of the world.)

I rise at 7:15. For what will be a long day. Worth it, though. Did I ever tell you how much I love Brazil? You may have noticed through my many visits. This will be number nine.

I don't bother with any breakfast. There'll be time for that at Schiphol. And it will be free.

I jump in an Uber around 8:00. It's quite misty. The traffic isn't too bad and soon I'm checking in. The formalities don't take long, thankfully. And before I know it, I'm sitting in the lounge. They say every journey starts with a single step. For me, they start with a pair of whiskies.

A brace of whiskies to start.

It's quite full in the lounge. I have trouble finding a seat.

One whisky down and it's time to look at the food. Which is a bit different from last time. I get an omelette and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Very posh.

Once my first course is down, I read a little Private Eye. Well, someone has to do it.

For round two, I have two rosti and some baked beans. I'm really living the dream. Especially when I get another pair of whiskies.

Rosti and baked beans breakfast.

Lots of flights are delayed. Was that because of the mist? Luckily, mine isn't. Or, wasn't. Just before I'm about to head for my gate, it shows as delayed by 30 minutes. I get myself a nice cappuccino. Just to make sure I'm awake.

I time getting to the gate perfectly. Arriving just as they announce that my group can board. Brilliant. Zero time fucking around at the gate.

Has the mist delayed our flight? No, one of the windscreen wipers isn't working. At least that's wat they tell us. We wait around for a while and finally pull away from the gate about an hour late. Just as well that I have no connecting flight.

As usual, I pass the time with some shit films. Rock of Ages is fucking dreadful. Not helped by lots of shitty music. The plot of Rush Hour is ludicrous, but at least has Jackie Chan. Point Break is, well, total bollocks.

The first meal is fucking meatballs. Again. Just about edible. At least I can add some knives to the red wine with the miniatures I picked up in Schiphol.

I don't usually sleep on daytime flights. But I make an exception, fishing out my neck pillow. Do I sleep? Sort of. I doze a little.

After they serve us the final meal - a sort of pizza thing that I don't eat - I watch some Live at the Apollo. Which is reasonably amusing.

We land 30 minutes late.

There's the usual cross-continental trek to immigration. Is it me or are there more moving walkways this time? I'm already totally knacked and the walking doesn't help. Even with the walkways.

I'm quite sweaty by the time I get to immigration. Where, thankfully, there's not much of a queue. At least, for oldie people like me. There's a fucking huge one for the unlucky young people.

Where the fuck is my bag? It's priority and supposed to be one of the first out. I guess they didn't tell the baggage handlers here that.

Finally, after quite a wait, my bag flops out. And I make my way to the taxi counter.

It's not as long a drive this time. As I'm staying in the city centre rather than Ipanema. Where I can't afford to stay because of stupid Carnaval. For a while I thought I might not be staying in Rio at all, the hotels were so expensive.

As we approach the centre. there are lots of exotically dressed people. Barely dressed, many of them. They’re milling around the streets in small groups. Looking as if they’re on their way to or from somewhere.

When we get to the hotel, it doesn't look right. Because it isn't. It's the wrong Ibis. Brilliant. It takes another 10 minutes of crawling through partygoers to get to the correct hotel.

Before ascending to my room, I buy a sandwich and some water in the lobby. Need some ballast and hydration.

Hotel view.

In my room, it's time to power up my electronic devices. Not sure that I've managed to activate my eSIM.

Hotel nosh.

I crack open my duty-free bottle of Jura and watch some crap on YouTube. I don't stay up too long. As I'm fucking knacked.

 

Beer Guide to the 1970s (part fifty-nine)

An important milestone today as we finish off the Watney Mann breweries and get started on Whitbread. Which will take a while given how many breweries they close, sorry, operated, in the 1970s.

Bit of a contrast between the two Watney breweries. Webster, though not that many of its pubs sold cask, at least the beer was good in cask form. While Wilsons sold plenty of cask but it was rubbish.

I know the beers from Chiswell Street, on paper, better than any others. And better, i'm sure, than any brewer who ever worked there. Because I've pored over 170 years' worth of their brewing records. Which is a weird feeling.


Webster
Halifax,
West Yorkshire.
Founded:    1820
Closed:            1996
Tied houses:    288

Bought by Watney Mann in 1972. In terms of beers brewed, Webster was a typical West Yorkshire brewery.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Pennine Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037.5	sweetish and full-bodied
Best Mild	Mild, Light	draught	1033.8	smooth, slightly bitter
Nut Brown	Mild	draught	1033.8
Green Label	Pale Ale	bottled

Wilsons
Manchester,
Greater Manchester.
Founded:    1834
Closed:            1986
Tied houses:    1,124

Bought by Watney Mann in 1960. Can’t say I ever cared for their beer much.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Great Northern Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1037	smooth, well-balanced
Brewers Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1033	pale
Great Northern Mild	Mild	draught	1032.2	thin and malty

Chiswell Street
City of London,
London.
Founded:    1742
Closed:            1976
Tied houses:    

The original Whitbread brewery. I’m not sure if it brewed any cask in the 1970s. I think it probably did, but I can’t be certain. I did drink keg Best Mild in 1979, presumably brewed in Luton. It was pretty bland and forgettable.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Best Mild	Mild	draught	1030.8
Trophy	Pale Ale	draught	1035.8
Best Mild	Mild	keg	1030.8
Trophy	Pale Ale	keg	1035.8
Tankard	Pale Ale	keg	1039.3
Export Pale Ale	Pale Ale	bottled	1048.8
Forest Brown	Brown Ale	bottled		dryish
Mackeson	Stout	bottled	1038.8	sweet
Extra Stout	Stout	bottled	1055.7
Final Selection	Strong Ale	bottled	1079.6	dry
Gold Label	Barley Wine	bottled	1101.3	blended and matured

Time for yet another plug of my latest book, "Keg!". From which this is an excerpt.

Get your copy of "Keg!" now!

 

 

Back from Brazil

It's so lovely to be back in the cool temperatures of Amsterdam. Like fuck it is. I started coughing almost as soon as I stepped off the plane. 

Considering how long I spent travelling, I arrived feeling comparatively OK. Not even that knacked.

I know what you'll all be eagerly anticipating: seeing my breakfasts. I'll let you have a bit of a preview. That's the kind of person I am.

 Much more of this in the days to come. I bet you can't wait.

Let's Brew - 1883 Truman (Burton) No. 6 Ale

The higher-numbered Ales from Truman were all Mild Ales. With the switch to Old Ales coming at No. 5 Ale.

There’s still a long way to go with Truman’s beers. There are a lot of them. And I don’t think I have photographs of all of them.

The elements are the same as in No. 7 and No. 8, base malt and sugar, but not in exactly the same proportions. For some reason, there’s far less sugar here. And, obviously, there’s far more base malt. Which, I assume, must have made its character different from the two weaker Ales.

But, on the other hand, the hopping rate is a good bit lower here. Where it’s 4.5 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt, compared to 5.75 lbs. Which seems a little odd. It’s definitely a one-off though, as I have other examples with the same hopping rate.

Same hops again, Bavarian from the 1879 harvest and something that I can’t read. 

1883 Truman (Burton) No. 6 Ale
pale malt	15.50 lb	98.41%
no. 2 sugar	0.250 lb	1.59%
Fuggles 180 mins	1.00 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	0.75 oz
Hallertau 30 mins	0.75 oz
OG	1069
FG	1017
ABV	6.88
Apparent attenuation	75.36%
IBU	29
SRM	6
Mash at	151º F
Sparge at	161º F
Boil time	180 minutes
pitching temp	58º F
Yeast	WLP013 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)

What wasn't allowed in a pub in 1914? (part eight)

A whole load of official functions weren't allowed to be performed in pubs. This list includes most legal and local government activities.

Licensed Premises not to be Used for certain Purposes.—No room in any licensed premises may be used as a justices' room by the council of any borough having a separate commission of the peace.

No room in any licensed premises may be used for a parish meeting or meeting of a parish council, or of a district council or of a board of guardians, except in cases where no other suitable room is available for such meeting, either free of charge or at a reasonable cost.

No meeting of justices in Petty or Special Sessions may be held in premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors, or in any room, whether licensed or not, in any building licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors; nor may any coroner's inquest be held on such licensed premises where other suitable premises have been provided for such inquest.
Brewers' Almanack 1915, pages 317 - 318.

If you're wondering what a board of guardians is, that's the committee overseeing the operation of the local workhouse. And, from reports I've read in newspapers, they were mostly a right bunch of miserable, self-righteous gits.

The one about inquests is interesting. Because I've seen reports of inquests being performed in London pubs in the 19th century. Which quite surprised me at the time. Though it doesn't say that they were totally forbidden in pubs. Just that they weren't allowed when there were suitable unlicensed premises.

And that's it for this series. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it. What will I use to fill up my blog now that I've exhausted this source? I don't know, but Im sure I'll find something.

 

Beer Guide to the 1970s (part fifty-eight)

More lovely Watney Mann breweries. Two of which closed before I started drinking. And one whose beers I drank a bit. Without being very impressed. Ushers beers were OK, I suppose. Good enough, if there wasn't anything else on cask.

I wonder what the beers from Phipps aand Tamplin were like? Had Watney phased out cask before they closed? Did they still brew some of their old brands or was it all Watney stuff?


Phipps
Northampton,
Northamptonshire.
Founded:    
Closed:            1972
Tied houses:    1,171

Site sold to Carlsberg who built a new brewery there.

Tamplin
Brighton,
East Sussex.
Founded:         1821
Closed:            1973
Tied houses:    400

Bought by Watney in 1953. 

beer	style	format	OG	description
Red	Pale Ale	keg	1037.1	replaced Red Barrel
Manns Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled	1030

Usher
Trowbridge,
Wiltshire.
Founded:        1824
Closed:            2000
Tied houses:    900

Bought by Watney Mann in 1960. Brewed a fair amount of cask. The brewhouse was shipped to North Korea in 2000 to become the Taedonggang brewery. 

beer	style	format	OG	description
PA	Pale Ale	draught	1031.2	light, balanced
Best Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1038.1	sweetish, well-balanced
Thos. Usher	Strong Ale	draught	1060	dark, well hopped

 

Time for yet another plug of my latest book, "Keg!".

Get your copy of "Keg!" now!

 

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1883 Truman (Burton) No. 7 Ale

Another of these numbered Ale thingies. They loved numbering their Ales in Burton. Bass did it. So did Evershed, and I'm sure many others.

Next up the strength hierarchy, logically enough, is No. 7 Ale. Still, lots of numbers to go before the end of this set.

And we’re already up at over 6% ABV. You can probably guess what sort of strength the low numbers are. Though we’re still in the Mild Ale region of Burton Ales. Finding this confusing? You should. Because I don’t have it totally clear in my head. What are some of the middle-numbered Ales.

Not much to discuss about the recipe this time. You can look above at No. 8 Ale for that. As it was parti-gyled with this beer. 

1883 Truman (Burton) No. 7 Ale
pale malt	12.75 lb	93.58%
no. 2 sugar	0.875 lb	6.42%
Fuggles 180 mins	1.00 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	1.00 oz
Hallertau 30 mins	1.00 oz
OG	1062
FG	1014
ABV	6.35
Apparent attenuation	77.42%
IBU	35
SRM	6
Mash at	151º F
Sparge at	160º F
Boil time	180 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP013 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)

What wasn't allowed in a pub in 1914? (part seven)

It's a pretty long list of inadmissible activities. And it will continue to get longer.

There were several activities relating to elections which were forbidden.

Elections.—Any licensed person who knowingly permits any part of his licensed premises to be used in any Parliamentary election as a committee room for the purpose of furnishing or procuring the election of a candidate, or in any election held under the provisions of the Municipal Elections Act, either as a committee room or for holding a meeting for such purpose is guilty of an illegal hiring.

If a licensed person is convicted of bribery or treating in reference to any election, and it appears that such offence was committed on his licensed premises, the conviction must be entered on the register of licences, and if it appears to an election court or election commissioners that a licensed person has knowingly suffered any bribery or treating in reference to any election to take place on his licensed premises, they must report the same, and the report must be entered on the Register of Licences.

Licensing justices are directed to take such entries on the register into consideration in determining whether they will or will not grant a renewal of the licence as to which the entry is made; and it is specifically provided that such entry may be a ground for refusing the renewal.

No poll at any Parliamentary election may be taken on any licensed premises unless by the consent of all the candidates expressed in writing.
Brewers' Almanack 1915, page 317.

So no election meetings and no bribery. The latter, I assume, relates to electors being given free beer to encourage them to vote for a specific candidate.

Those sort of rules didn't apply everywhere. For example, Austro-Hungary. Where Jaroslav Hašek, author of the Good Soldier Švejk, held meetings for his joke political party in a pub. A specific pub being selected because he fancied the landlord's daughter.

Why insist on all the candidates agreeing in writing to having a poll in a pub? Because in large number of elections one of the candidates would be a temperance twat and obviously object to the use of a pub. Meaning that rule pretty much excluded the use of pubs.

Beer Guide to the 1970s (part fifty-seven)

Another trio of Watney Mann breweries. Not the most inspiring set. None of them brewed any cask in the 1970s. So, obviously, I never drank ant beer from any of them. In the 1970a. I might have drunk something from the Norwich brewery in the 1980s, when they did brew some cask.


Drybrough
Edinburgh,
London.
Founded:    1750
Closed:            1987
Tied houses:    441

Bought by Watney Mann in 1965. I don’t think their beers were the greatest. Sold to Allied Breweries in 1987 and closed immediately.

beer	style	format	OG	description
B 60/-	Pale Ale	keg	1030.8
Continental	Lager	keg	1032.8
Special Mild	Mild	keg	1034.3
Keg Heavy	Pale Ale	keg	1036.8
Export	Pale Ale	keg	1041.8

Manns
Whitechapel,
London.
Founded:    1808
Closed:            1979
Tied houses:    

Bought by Watney in 1958 to replace their Stag Brewery.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Red	Pale Ale	keg	1037.1	replaced Red Barrel
Manns Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled	1030

Morgan
Norwich,
Norfolk.
Founded:    1720
Closed:            1986
Tied houses:    450

Bought by Watney Mann in 1963. Along with the other two Norwich breweries. Brewed no cask in the 1970s, but did bring it back in the 1980s.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Norwich Bitter	Pale Ale	keg
Norwich Mild	Mild	keg

 

What wasn't allowed in a pub in 1914? (part six)

Still not finished with activities which were expressly forbidden in pubs.

This is an interesting one.

Payment of Wages on Licensed Premises.—Any licence holder who permits any wages to be paid to any workman (not being a workman bond fide employed by himself) upon his licensed premises, or in any office, garden, or place belonging thereto and occupied therewith, incurs a penalty not exceeding £20.
Brewers' Almanack 1915, page 316.

There was a simple reason for this. It was to stop workmen getting paid in a pub and spending all their wages before going home. Of course, this didn't apply to barstaff.

There were also strict rules about child performers in licensed premises. Though it was allowed under certain circumstances.

Employment of Children.—Any person who causes or procures any child, being a boy under the age of fourteen years or being a girl under the age of sixteen years, to be on any licensed premises, not being premises licensed according to law for public entertainment, for the purpose of singing, playing, or performing, or being exhibited for profit, or offering anything for sale, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., renders himself liable to a penalty not exceeding £25 or to imprisonment with or without hard labour for not more than three months. The local authority may from time to time by by-law extend or restrict the hours above mentioned.

Any person who causes or procures any child under the age of eleven years to be at any time on any licensed premises for the purpose of singing, playing, or performing, or being exhibited for profit, or offering anything for sale, renders himself liable to a penalty not exceeding £25, or to imprisonment with or without hard labour for not more than three months.

But it is provided that, in the case of premises licensed according to law for public entertainments, a petty sessional court may, under certain conditions, grant a licence permitting children over ten to take part in such entertainments.
Brewers' Almanack 1915, pages 316 - 317.

It was allowed to have child performers in places licensed for public entertainment. Which would, I suppose, include places like music halls. I wonder why there was an age difference between boys and girls? Seems a bit odd. The punishment is even harsher than for other offences, what with the possibility of three months hard labour. That wouldn't be any fun.
 

Let's Brew - 1883 Truman (Burton) No. 8 Ale

Another of Truman's Burton Ales today. They're a bit of a weird bunch. You'd expect them to be similar beers, just different strengths. But it's not as simple as that.

Next up in strength is the first of the numbered Burton Ales, 8. Which is only a little stronger than the simple Ale. There is a big difference between the two, which we’ll get to later.

There’s a little more complexity to the grist. Just a little bit. In addition to base malt, there’s some sugar. An unspecified type of sugar. I’ve plumped for No. 2 invert. But it could be something completely different. I’ve no way of knowing.

Same hops as in the Ale: Bavarian from the 1875 harvest and undated illegible. Though I’m not 100% sure about the latter. The hopping rate, however, is more than double, at 5.75 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt. 

1883 Truman (Burton) No. 8 Ale
pale malt	11.25 lb	93.75%
no. 2 sugar	0.75 lb	6.25%
Fuggles 180 mins	1.00 oz
Fuggles 60 mins	0.75 oz
Hallertau 30 mins	0.75 oz
OG	1054
FG	1015
ABV	5.16
Apparent attenuation	72.22%
IBU	31
SRM	5.5
Mash at	151º F
Sparge at	160º F
Boil time	180 minutes
pitching temp	60º F
Yeast	WLP013 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)

Beer Guide to the 1970s (part fifty-six)

Hopefully, I'll me slurping down caipirinhas, maybe on a beach, when you read this. Preparing to travel is one of the main reasons I've kept up with this series. So I can quickly get a couple of weeks ahead in my blog posts.

We finish off Scottish & Newcastle today with a brewery few seem to have known about, the former Red Tower brewery. Funnily enough, one of the first two Watney breweries Crowley, was fairly obscure, too. The other one was the last big industrial brewery in London. Though not a much-loved one.


Moss Side
Greater Manchester.
Founded:    1933
Closed:            still open
Tied houses:    

Bought by Scottish Brewers in 1956. Originally called Red Tower, it was an early specialist Lager brewery. And the only one still open. And the only one of the Scottish & Newcastle breweries still open and operated by Heineken.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Harp Lager	Lager	keg	1032.4

Mortlake
Mortlake,
London.
Founded:    1840
Closed:            2015
Tied houses:    

Bought by Watney in 1889. The main Watney brewery in London. Loathed by CAMRA for brewing no cask, they confounded them by reintroducing cask in the end of the 1970s. I can’t say that Fined Bitter impressed me much.

beer	style	format	OG	description
Fined Bitter	Pale Ale	draught	1044.2	well-flavoured, clean, tasty
Special Bitter	Pale Ale	keg	1037.9
Red Barrel	Pale Ale	keg	1036.6	well balanced
Red	Pale Ale	keg	1037.1	replaced Red Barrel
Starlight	Pale Ale	keg	1032.5	cheap and light
Special Mild	Mild	keg	1030.4	sweet
Pale Ale	Pale Ale	bottled	1031.3	traditional Pale Ale
Manns Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled	1030
Cream Label Stout	Stout	bottled	1035
Watneys Brown Ale	Brown Ale	bottled	1030.9
Watneys PA Export	Pale Ale	bottled	1060.8
Yorkshire Stingo	Strong Ale	bottled	1086
Export Gold	Strong Ale	bottled	1076

Crowley
Alton,
Hampshire.
Founded:    1763
Closed:            1970
Tied houses:    248

Bought by Watney in 1947. I assume to brew Pale Ale, as Alton has Burton-like water.
 

Still plugging away my latest book, "Keg!". If you want me to stop, buy a copy.

Get your copy of "Keg!" now!